Vehicle direction-indicator.



W. B. & E. W. IVIOULTON.

VEHICLE DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.II, 191-6.

1,214,058. Patented Jan. 30,1911

UNITED srar arena mace.

I WARREN B, MOULTON AND EDWIN W. MOULIQN, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patexitecl lan. 30, 1917.

Application filed January 11, 1916. 7 Serial No. 71,398.

TON and EDWIN \V. MoUL'roN, both citizens of the United States, residing at Riverside,

in the courty of Riverside and State of can fornia, have invented a new and useful Vehicle Directionlndicator, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention relates to a vehicle direction indicator which is designed to be carried upon. a. velricle, will indicate to ap proaching vehicles the contemplated movement of the vehicle to which it. is attached and may be operated from the drivers seat.

The' primary object of this invention is to simplify the constructionand operation of vehicledirection indicators of the character described so as to render them reliable and eiiicient noperation, capable of being constructed comparatively small and inexpensive to manufacture. 1 Another object s to provide snnple, reliable and compact electrical means for openating an indicating member forming a part of the device. y

' Other objects and advantages may appear in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawi'ngs illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device showing the arrow in its-various signaling positions in dotted lines and in normal position in full lines; Fig. 2 is vertical sec tional View; Fig. 3 is 'a'vertical Sectional view taken on line 83 of Fig. 2; Fig". at is a diagrammatic view showing the electri cal circuit; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary'eleration showing the returning spring.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a casing or housing of any suitable construe tion which may be secured to or formed as a part of the vehicle to which the device is to be attached. Journaled centrally in the front wall 2 of the housing 1 is a horizontal shaft 3, upon the outer end of which is fixed an indicating member 4, which, in this inas an entirety and is 'mounted within the casing 1. The outer face of'the front wall 2 of the casing may be painted or otherwise suitably colored to permit the arrow to be plainly seen, it being preferable to have the arrow painted or colored a bright hue.

The operating mechanism 5 comprises solenoids (5 and 7 which are fixed to the wall of the casing 1, are of arcuate formation and arranged arc-uately above the shaft 3 which extends into the casing 1 centrally thereof. Fixed upon and depending from the shaft 3 is an arcuate armature S, which, in this instance, is U-shaped or, more correctly speaking, semi-circular. Extending upwardly from a point centrally of the ends of the armature is an arm 9 which is rigidly hut detachably secured to the shaft 3. The armature 8 is substantially concentric with the solenoids (3 and 7 and is so mounted relative tothe shaft 3 that the arrow a is mally held in vertical position.

Preferably there is provided means for holding the shaft, armature and arrow nor-' against negative movement. This means c mprises a. spring arm 10 which is secured to and projects at right-angles from a post- 11 carried. hy'the front wall 20f the casin Carried upon thearmirnear the'free end thereof is a swing-engaging member 12 having a fiat face 13 for engagement with the spring arm 10 The arm 10 pressing against the flat face 13 holds the armature 8 and consequently the shaft 3 "and arrow 4 against negativemovement. v

The electric circuit for the operating mechanism' lcomprises a battery or other source of current 14: andcircuit-closing 'means 15 which; in this instance, is in the form of a two-point switch. This switch 15 may be mounted upon the steering wheel ofithe vehicle, not shown, or at any other point accessible to" the driver. From one side of the battery or source of currentl i a conductor '16 leads andis'connected with the switch 15. From the other side of the battery or other source of current 14, a conductor 17 leads and is connected by conducv tors 18 and 1.9 with the respective solenoids 7 and 6 A conductor 20 connects the solenoid 6 with the swrtch point 21 of the twopoint switch and a conductor 22 connects shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. When a right-turn is to be made, the driver operates the switch 15 as shown in Fig. i, so that it contacts with the point 23, and closes the circuit for the solenoid 7 said circuit being traced as follows: from battery 14 through wire 16, switch 15, wire 22, solenoid 7 and through wires 18 and 17 back to battery 14. It will be seen that upon the energization of th solenoid 7 the armature 8 will be drawn into the solenoid 7 and this causes the shaft 3 to rotate and tlie arrow to be moved from normal vertical into horizontal position and to point toward the right. After the signaling has taken place the operator opens the switch 15, and the armature 8, by force of gravity will immediately assume normal position, causing the arrow 4 to assume its normal vertical position. A similar operation is had when the solenoid 6 is energized, and in this connection the circuit therefor may be traced as follows: from battery 14 through conductor 16, switch 15, conductor 20 through solenoid 6 and from solenoid 6 back to battery 14 through conductors 19 and 17.

The solenoids 6 and Thave hollow cores and the arcuate armature extends into the tance equal to half its length. The arm 9 abuts the free ends of the solenoids and since" the farm is located centrally of the ends of the armature, it limits the armature movement to 90. In order to provide for the full 90 movement of the shaft and armature the solenoids at the free ends thereof are each recessed as at 26 upon their opposed sides. These recesses 26 allow the arm 9 to move a full 90.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown in the drawings and described above, but that deviations therefrom may be made within the spirit and scopeof the invention.

ing and extending out therefrom, an indi cating member secured to and extending at right-angles from the shaft upon the outer end thereof, electromagnets mounted within the casing above and on opposite sides of the shaft, an armature fixed to said shaft, an electrical circuit for said magnets, a

.sprmg arm mounted within said casing and a spring-engaging member carried by'the shaft and having a flat face engaging said spring arm to hold the shaft against nega-f tive rotation.

2. A vehicle direction indicator compriss ing a casing, a shaft journaled in and ex; tending out from the casing, an indicating member fixed to the shaft and extending at right-angles thereto, electromagnets mounted within the casing above and on opposite sides of the shaft, said magnets being of arcuate formation and spaced fromone another at their upper ends, anarm, secured to and extending at right-angles from the shaft, an arcuate armature connected to the lower end of the arm and adapted to be attracted by either magnet, said magnets having their opposed faces on their lower ends recessed to receive the arm, an electric circuit for said magnets,-means to energize the magnets independently a leaf spring rigidly connected with the casing, and a spring engaging member carried by the shaft and havinga flat face for engagement with the leaf spring.

Signed at Riverside, California this 5th day of January, 1916.

\Vitnesses H. WELLS, R. CARTER. 

